The cynic in me says, "Every time we come out of a war, we say we need to get "lean and mean," streamline, get faster, smaller, more agile and lethal!"
And every time the bullets start to fly, we start bolting on armor and other kit, adding intermediate HQs, and loading stuff onto the infantryman's load. Mass has a quality all of it's own, we can't wish it away. For the record, I'm for the administrative streamlining, especially on the distaff side.
But until we achieve the Singularity, human span of control issues are still going to militate against the COCOM commander personally directing mortar fires.
Heh. Just play any of Gary Grigsby's games with all the options turned on.
We have to do something, else we find ourselves with Square Divisions with Maus-equipped armored formations supported by 12in railway guns and B36 TACAIR..
"But this time it will be different."
Good luck, Randy! (I knew Major George during his brief sojourn here at Leavenworth)
Gilgamech: From today's (5/5/25), Army Recognition dot com: "U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth Urges U.S. Army to Modernize and Enhance Anti-Drone Capabilities."
In another venue, the Pentagon quietly admitted that the military's anti-drone technology is inadequate to defend against drones operated over US military bases.
I note that the Russians have deployed drones that trail fiber optic cable for miles rendering a lot of jamming tech useless. I assume there is some counter to this but he who gets there first, wins.
Is it a matter of moving dollars around or is the better question are they an answer to the problem set? Can these units reach out to a distance and in a volume that is relevant that changes the math for the other side? Can they be logistically sustained? Are there answers here that deal with D+90?
I would like to hear more of this. Living alongside the 25th CAB at Wheeler AAF I've taken an interest in what the guys in green are doing (well, I guess everyone is in green these days). Since the 11th Airborne Div stood up 1-25 AVN was assigned to them, so the CAB is now 2-25 AVN (assault), 3-25 AVN (gen support) and 2-6 CAV.
Over the years one infantry brigade here has gone from light infantry, to stryker, and back to light infantry. I guess that could change again.
But we seem to be in a competition between the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment and Army Multi-Domain Task Force for support to forward operating forces.
Geography, topography and logistics get outsized votes in all of this. They dictate big money questions begging for answers. Pivot, twist... jump up and down... whatever. Perhaps IRBMs (conventional of course) get tossed in the mix?? PRSM v.3 as an ASBM? OK... that speaks to distance and response time but operating from where... geography and topography? MRBMs & IRBMs are a wasting asset so that means a very long logistics tail. This is some very ugly math.
transformation will not be possible under the same leadership that got the military to where it currently sits. several generations of gofos will need to be gotten rid of. who among them has been brave and stood on principle? who are the ones who resigned or were passed over and passed out? thats where a look would be interesting.
We have seen the MAGA creed of isolationism in the way Trump has treated Ukraine. When Taiwan is invaded by China, we can predict the response of the current “Administration”. It will pivot internally rather than respond militarily. Trump only attacks countries that can be significantly outmatched and won’t engage in armed conflict with near-peer states. It’s the typical bully playbook to bluster and run away when punched in the nose. All this hoopla about pivoting to the far east is just dust in the wind.
You’re kidding yourself. If Ukraine is not worth a dime, than why enter into a deal for rare earth minerals? What is Taiwan to us once chip manufacturing is up and running under the Biden Chips Act?
This is a question of character and principles when we talk about defending democracies from invasion by communist dictatorships. That’s what Reagan Republicans stand for. MAGA Republicans and Trump in particular have no character or principles. There won’t be a war in the Pacific and you can kiss Taiwan goodbye.
Some people think the world ends at the end of their shire. They also don't follow their retirement account vs actual decisions and actions. Orange God has burnt more Capital in 100 days than has been expended in Ukraine since 91 by many many times.
I give credit to the old Corps for doing great things with limited resources.
FD2030 though? Very expensive coastwatcher program. I don't think you can unfund the Army, saving it for National mobilization AND at the same time eliminate the Marine capability to take opposed footholds and fight from them for 30-60 days
I'm not convinced our unsupported bases will be as unsupported this time. I think the bigger issue is they aren't actually getting the gear and making additional decisions fast enough. I also find it interesting we haven't really gotten word on the plan for the Marine Corps yet as we now have with the Army other than the fact LSM seems to be proceeding.
Wake Island, Betio, Guadalcanal and other island fortresses occupied by land forces where a friendly Naval force knock out would isolate each island into an Alamo.
If the Army (and Administration generally) wishes to get the PLA to notice their seriousness, they would do well by carving of a small part of their budget to reboot the WW2 Victory Corps program for middle and high schools. Renaming it certainly. It would dovetail nicely with Make America Healthy Again. Same with both JROTC and CMP. Kit it certainly important but so is a phyiscally capable and literate age cohort between 18-30 yo. I would even expand on the basic program from back then and add a technology component starting with the FIRST Robotics competion curriculum and activities series recognizing UAV/USV technology we be used by even the most junior enlisted on future battlefields. We will never be able to build a Swiss Army model of reservists but taking active and comprehensive steps to reduce the insanely high numbers of 4F would be a great place to start.
This is a great start, and something rarely done with the US military, actually cutting the size of its force structure (headquarters), as well as personnel, and switching the priorities in acquisition, force structure, personnel and training (learning) to the evolving face of war, that includes drone and cyberwarfare.
So stop buying HMMWV and JLTV, the bigger-yet-bigger-still not-a-jeeps, okay: What, then, is the current vehicle for those requirements? I hope it is not that electric thing from prior years DoD PR. Or wasn’t there a mostly-COTS Chevy truck vehicle I saw in a press release?
The cynic in me says, "Every time we come out of a war, we say we need to get "lean and mean," streamline, get faster, smaller, more agile and lethal!"
And every time the bullets start to fly, we start bolting on armor and other kit, adding intermediate HQs, and loading stuff onto the infantryman's load. Mass has a quality all of it's own, we can't wish it away. For the record, I'm for the administrative streamlining, especially on the distaff side.
But until we achieve the Singularity, human span of control issues are still going to militate against the COCOM commander personally directing mortar fires.
Heh. Just play any of Gary Grigsby's games with all the options turned on.
We have to do something, else we find ourselves with Square Divisions with Maus-equipped armored formations supported by 12in railway guns and B36 TACAIR..
"But this time it will be different."
Good luck, Randy! (I knew Major George during his brief sojourn here at Leavenworth)
Manpower shortages means harden up the Infantry.
Same with every vehicle.
Bases, Bunkered in.
"We have top men working on it."
... sarcasm on Monday a.m.... now someone isn't playing nice in the sandbox this a.m.
As opposed to best tacticians and Strategic veterans.
Is there no word on drone warfare? Or is that what “UAS” means?
Gilgamech: From today's (5/5/25), Army Recognition dot com: "U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth Urges U.S. Army to Modernize and Enhance Anti-Drone Capabilities."
Thank you!
Marines receive anti drone weapons system TWZ.
In another venue, the Pentagon quietly admitted that the military's anti-drone technology is inadequate to defend against drones operated over US military bases.
I note that the Russians have deployed drones that trail fiber optic cable for miles rendering a lot of jamming tech useless. I assume there is some counter to this but he who gets there first, wins.
Is the idea of increasing mobility by reducing Air Cav squadrons, that the reduced Air Cav pays for the increased Mobile brigades?
Is it a matter of moving dollars around or is the better question are they an answer to the problem set? Can these units reach out to a distance and in a volume that is relevant that changes the math for the other side? Can they be logistically sustained? Are there answers here that deal with D+90?
Great questions!
I suspect a lot of it is personnel slots. If you want to build a new unit you have to remove another one to find the people to man it.
I would like to hear more of this. Living alongside the 25th CAB at Wheeler AAF I've taken an interest in what the guys in green are doing (well, I guess everyone is in green these days). Since the 11th Airborne Div stood up 1-25 AVN was assigned to them, so the CAB is now 2-25 AVN (assault), 3-25 AVN (gen support) and 2-6 CAV.
Over the years one infantry brigade here has gone from light infantry, to stryker, and back to light infantry. I guess that could change again.
But we seem to be in a competition between the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment and Army Multi-Domain Task Force for support to forward operating forces.
Geography, topography and logistics get outsized votes in all of this. They dictate big money questions begging for answers. Pivot, twist... jump up and down... whatever. Perhaps IRBMs (conventional of course) get tossed in the mix?? PRSM v.3 as an ASBM? OK... that speaks to distance and response time but operating from where... geography and topography? MRBMs & IRBMs are a wasting asset so that means a very long logistics tail. This is some very ugly math.
transformation will not be possible under the same leadership that got the military to where it currently sits. several generations of gofos will need to be gotten rid of. who among them has been brave and stood on principle? who are the ones who resigned or were passed over and passed out? thats where a look would be interesting.
We have seen the MAGA creed of isolationism in the way Trump has treated Ukraine. When Taiwan is invaded by China, we can predict the response of the current “Administration”. It will pivot internally rather than respond militarily. Trump only attacks countries that can be significantly outmatched and won’t engage in armed conflict with near-peer states. It’s the typical bully playbook to bluster and run away when punched in the nose. All this hoopla about pivoting to the far east is just dust in the wind.
MAGA is to fix America.
Ukraine is not worth a dime or any American blood. They have lost they are like a zombie state they just haven't laid down yet.
Taiwan needs to cowboy up and build a large Navy, army and a nuke or two Covertly, it ain't our flogging job to save the world from itself.
I'd rather have a Bully in power than a demented old fool a race and gender bender or any leftist, liberal idiot.
A crazy bully can convince some threats to back off. Demented old fools frighten nobody. Ukraine 2022.
There it is.
You’re kidding yourself. If Ukraine is not worth a dime, than why enter into a deal for rare earth minerals? What is Taiwan to us once chip manufacturing is up and running under the Biden Chips Act?
This is a question of character and principles when we talk about defending democracies from invasion by communist dictatorships. That’s what Reagan Republicans stand for. MAGA Republicans and Trump in particular have no character or principles. There won’t be a war in the Pacific and you can kiss Taiwan goodbye.
Some people think the world ends at the end of their shire. They also don't follow their retirement account vs actual decisions and actions. Orange God has burnt more Capital in 100 days than has been expended in Ukraine since 91 by many many times.
Maybe the Army heard Sal talking about cutting their balls off to build ships :)
Oh that is an old Marine saying LOL
I give credit to the old Corps for doing great things with limited resources.
FD2030 though? Very expensive coastwatcher program. I don't think you can unfund the Army, saving it for National mobilization AND at the same time eliminate the Marine capability to take opposed footholds and fight from them for 30-60 days
Yep you would think Wake Island would have made an impression on unsupported bases.
I'm not convinced our unsupported bases will be as unsupported this time. I think the bigger issue is they aren't actually getting the gear and making additional decisions fast enough. I also find it interesting we haven't really gotten word on the plan for the Marine Corps yet as we now have with the Army other than the fact LSM seems to be proceeding.
It will be a new style war, perhaps the fortified base will actually work, the Marines are transitioning to the new realities of war as we always do.
But An Alamo is still an Alamo.
Wake Island, Betio, Guadalcanal and other island fortresses occupied by land forces where a friendly Naval force knock out would isolate each island into an Alamo.
Worse. Truk where it didn't even have to be taken. Just a giant internment camp.
Live fire training operation.
If the Army (and Administration generally) wishes to get the PLA to notice their seriousness, they would do well by carving of a small part of their budget to reboot the WW2 Victory Corps program for middle and high schools. Renaming it certainly. It would dovetail nicely with Make America Healthy Again. Same with both JROTC and CMP. Kit it certainly important but so is a phyiscally capable and literate age cohort between 18-30 yo. I would even expand on the basic program from back then and add a technology component starting with the FIRST Robotics competion curriculum and activities series recognizing UAV/USV technology we be used by even the most junior enlisted on future battlefields. We will never be able to build a Swiss Army model of reservists but taking active and comprehensive steps to reduce the insanely high numbers of 4F would be a great place to start.
This is a great start, and something rarely done with the US military, actually cutting the size of its force structure (headquarters), as well as personnel, and switching the priorities in acquisition, force structure, personnel and training (learning) to the evolving face of war, that includes drone and cyberwarfare.
The US won WW2 with six 4-star generals, we lost Afghanistan and Iraq with 30some 4-stars between the Army and AF.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-162830465
https://substack.com/home/post/p-162683531
So stop buying HMMWV and JLTV, the bigger-yet-bigger-still not-a-jeeps, okay: What, then, is the current vehicle for those requirements? I hope it is not that electric thing from prior years DoD PR. Or wasn’t there a mostly-COTS Chevy truck vehicle I saw in a press release?
They are planning on using the Colorado derived truck to provide organic transport to infantry units.
U.S. Army purchases Toyota trucks and outfits them as technicals!!! 😃😁
Fighting trim
Infantry Squad Vehicle.
Strength punishes. Speed kills.
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